Talespin: The jail, the election and back to work

It looks like more people had their medical records illegally accessed by someone at the Rensselaer County jail than initially thought but I'm still not sure to what end.

Twenty-three people were notified there records were looked at from the computer of Elaine Young, who used to be a nurse and caretaker of the password to Samaritan Hospital records. Last week, the hospital notified 25 more people that there records were accessed too.

Again, why? To what end?

A number of correction officers who might be at odds with Sheriff Jack Mahar, have taken prolonged sick leave -- and by prolonged I mean like a year or more -- but for them to get paid for the time off the county, i.e. the Sheriff's Department, has the right to look at the records anyway so I don't see what anyone gains from sneaking a look at someone's health records.

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That aside, Young has since resigned and her attorney, Kevin Luibrand, maintains she didn't do anything wrong outside of leaving the password to Samaritan's records out for all to see or use. However, a story last week in this paper said the password was in a private office that only Young and another nurse, Crystal Waters, had the key to. So, did one of them allow someone else to access the records? That is clearly the implication but again I ask ... why?

I have no idea where this one is going but Sheriff Jack Mahar has a bunch of enemies within the jail and outside it too so my guess is there will be lawsuits involved if for no other reason than to provide ammunition should Mahar decide to seek re-election in two years.

There is already one notice of claim filed by Ruth Vibert, who was brought in about a year ago to head up the jail and calm some of the chaos after what was a nasty union transition and a nastier political race between Mahar and Gary Gordon, a former Troy cop now working as an investigator for District Attorney Rich McNally.

The chaos, however, continued and Mahar fired Vibert so Vibert, logically, filed a lawsuit.

Election year

I know the election is eight months off but candidates and potential candidates are already maneuvering for what should be a fun year.

There are 15 seats up in the City of Troy -- nine on the Council and six on the Legislature and County Executive Kathy Jimino is up this year as is County Clerk Frank Merola.

While the Republicans are scrambling in the city, since they need to find eight candidates for the Council and all six for the Legislature, there haven't been any names floated to run against Jimino or Merola, two popular, long time incumbents.

One name, Carmella Mantello, is out there to run for either Council At Large or Legislature. She has always wanted to get back in the game since she gave up what was a safe Council District 3 seat to run against Mayor Mark Pattison in 2000 and she ran another unsuccessful bid for mayor two years ago. She lives in District 3, and despite some thoughts to the contrary, it doesn't appear she will primary Republican incumbent Dean Bodnar.

She did, however, conduct a poll to gauge her popularity city wide and it came back with a 3 to 1 favorability rating.

In District 1, city chair Jim Gordon wants to again run against incumbent Democrat Kevin McGrath, who may or may not face a primary of his own. If you remember, McGrath squared off against County Chair Tom Wade over appointing Rick Mason as a city marshal and Wade went so far as to commission a poll showing how unpopular McGrath is up in The 'Burgh. Poll or no poll, and despite some missteps he's had in his past that came out at the voter fraud trials, the McGrath name is tough to beat by Democrats or Republicans.

In District 2, community activist Kim Mazor is mulling a run on the GOP line. The seat is open since incumbent Mark McGrath is term limited out. Mark McGrath could run for Legislature and has certainly gotten his name out there as the vocal opposition to the Democratic majority on the Council but it's unclear if he wants to run citywide or just ride off into the sunset.

Former Mayor Harry Tutunjian, who was appointed to the Legislature and then defeated when he had to run last year, is also mulling a run for Legislature.

The Council has had its ups and down over the past two years, but Troy is a Democratic city and while Trojans have been known to bounce out entire tickets regardless of party, you can't beat anyone with nobody and Republicans are scrambling to find anybody willing to run.

Back to work

Last week, I mentioned Andrew Petersen, the Troy assistant building plans examiner, was placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons.

While I still don't know the details behind the reasons he was placed on leave, he was back on the job he's had for the last five years after about two days.

He had a pow wow with Mayo Lou Rosamilia and Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan and nobody wanted to say anything at all except that everything is hunky dory and they'd just as soon forget about the entire episode -- whatever the episode actually was.